Post by Sly Fox on Aug 27, 2005 8:41:51 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Crouch still Liberty's No. 1 punter[/glow]
Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 27, 2005
The strength of Noah Crouch’s leg has never been in question. The Liberty University senior punter averaged 39.5 yards per punt last season, good for 29th in Division I-AA.
But distance is only part of the equation for a successful punter. How often can he induce a fair catch from a talented returner? How often can he guide a punt to a corner inside the 10-yard line?
Those are some of the finer, technical aspects of the game the Amherst graduate wanted to work on heading into his senior season.
“I’ve been doing this for seven years, but I’ve never put much emphasis on directional kicking,” said Crouch, who was an all-Big South preseason selection. “I always tried to just kick it as high as I could. More so than that, though, I’ve been working on hang time for all of my kicks. Basically, I want to reduce the attempts that they have to get a big return on us and to help us with field position.”
LU coach Ken Karcher said the emergence of Ben Beasley, a transfer from Jones County (Miss.) Junior College, has been a positive for Crouch as well. Crouch is still the No. 1 punter on the depth chart, but Beasley, who will handle kickoffs and long field-goal attempts, has pushed Crouch in camp.
“It’s directional issues as well as overall consistency,” Karcher said of Crouch. “Maybe you get a snap that’s a little to the right, as a good punter, you’ve got to not let that affect you and still get that off. It’s more of technique and detail things. He has the leg to be very good.”
Either way, Flames coaches want the punting game to be a more potent weapon in LU’s attack.
“The percentages of the opponent scoring go way down when they start inside the 20 yard line,” LU special teams coach Mickey Mays said. “When you get inside the 10, you’re thinking points, either for your offense or getting a turnover and points. There’s great opportunities down there and it changes the mindset of the offensive playcalling (of the opponent).”
Split duties
Beasley and returning placekicker Zac Kolegue will share the kicking duties this season.
Kolegue will handle extra points and kicks from 39 yards and in. Beasley will be brought in to attempt longer field goals.
“Unless something drastically changes in the next seven days, that’s how we’ll start the season,” Karcher said.
In last Saturday’s scrimmage at Williams Stadium, Beasley attempted two kicks of 50-plus yards, but both fell well short.
Kolegue was 9-for-10 from 39 yards and in last year but just 1-for-5 from 40-plus yards. His longest made field goal was a 41 yarder against William & Mary.
“I’m comfortable from between 40 and 45,” Beasley said. “The further you go back, the goal posts start looking a little more narrow.”
Beasley has excelled at kickoffs as well, regularly booting balls during scrimmages into the end zone for touchbacks. That’s the way Liberty wants him to kick. At Jones County, Beasley’s coaches often asked him to try to kick to the right side of the field instead of just drilling balls right down the middle. “That took away from my power,” Beasley said.
“That’s the reason we signed him - long field goals and kickoffs,” Karcher said.
Getting healthy
Injured offensive guard Kevin Inge spent the end of Thursday’s practice running sprints and doing exercises to test the lateral movement in his left knee.
Two weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery, Inge is ahead of schedule and may be able to return to practice as early as Tuesday.
The news on two other injured starters is mixed. Right cornerback Josh Wallace, who broke his hand last week in practice, will be fitted for a smaller cast next week. Defensive end Steve Ackley, the only returning starter on the line, may not be back until the week of the Sept. 17 Youngstown State game. Karcher had hoped to have him back in practice by now.
If Inge misses the opener against Concord next Saturday, Britt Stone will move from center to left guard and Mike Godsil will start at center.
Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 27, 2005
The strength of Noah Crouch’s leg has never been in question. The Liberty University senior punter averaged 39.5 yards per punt last season, good for 29th in Division I-AA.
But distance is only part of the equation for a successful punter. How often can he induce a fair catch from a talented returner? How often can he guide a punt to a corner inside the 10-yard line?
Those are some of the finer, technical aspects of the game the Amherst graduate wanted to work on heading into his senior season.
“I’ve been doing this for seven years, but I’ve never put much emphasis on directional kicking,” said Crouch, who was an all-Big South preseason selection. “I always tried to just kick it as high as I could. More so than that, though, I’ve been working on hang time for all of my kicks. Basically, I want to reduce the attempts that they have to get a big return on us and to help us with field position.”
LU coach Ken Karcher said the emergence of Ben Beasley, a transfer from Jones County (Miss.) Junior College, has been a positive for Crouch as well. Crouch is still the No. 1 punter on the depth chart, but Beasley, who will handle kickoffs and long field-goal attempts, has pushed Crouch in camp.
“It’s directional issues as well as overall consistency,” Karcher said of Crouch. “Maybe you get a snap that’s a little to the right, as a good punter, you’ve got to not let that affect you and still get that off. It’s more of technique and detail things. He has the leg to be very good.”
Either way, Flames coaches want the punting game to be a more potent weapon in LU’s attack.
“The percentages of the opponent scoring go way down when they start inside the 20 yard line,” LU special teams coach Mickey Mays said. “When you get inside the 10, you’re thinking points, either for your offense or getting a turnover and points. There’s great opportunities down there and it changes the mindset of the offensive playcalling (of the opponent).”
Split duties
Beasley and returning placekicker Zac Kolegue will share the kicking duties this season.
Kolegue will handle extra points and kicks from 39 yards and in. Beasley will be brought in to attempt longer field goals.
“Unless something drastically changes in the next seven days, that’s how we’ll start the season,” Karcher said.
In last Saturday’s scrimmage at Williams Stadium, Beasley attempted two kicks of 50-plus yards, but both fell well short.
Kolegue was 9-for-10 from 39 yards and in last year but just 1-for-5 from 40-plus yards. His longest made field goal was a 41 yarder against William & Mary.
“I’m comfortable from between 40 and 45,” Beasley said. “The further you go back, the goal posts start looking a little more narrow.”
Beasley has excelled at kickoffs as well, regularly booting balls during scrimmages into the end zone for touchbacks. That’s the way Liberty wants him to kick. At Jones County, Beasley’s coaches often asked him to try to kick to the right side of the field instead of just drilling balls right down the middle. “That took away from my power,” Beasley said.
“That’s the reason we signed him - long field goals and kickoffs,” Karcher said.
Getting healthy
Injured offensive guard Kevin Inge spent the end of Thursday’s practice running sprints and doing exercises to test the lateral movement in his left knee.
Two weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery, Inge is ahead of schedule and may be able to return to practice as early as Tuesday.
The news on two other injured starters is mixed. Right cornerback Josh Wallace, who broke his hand last week in practice, will be fitted for a smaller cast next week. Defensive end Steve Ackley, the only returning starter on the line, may not be back until the week of the Sept. 17 Youngstown State game. Karcher had hoped to have him back in practice by now.
If Inge misses the opener against Concord next Saturday, Britt Stone will move from center to left guard and Mike Godsil will start at center.
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